Apparatus for cleaning pipe lines



Oct 5, 1954 2. 0. ST. PALLEY ETAL 2,690,756

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING PIPE LINES Filed Dec. 9, 1952 IN V EN TORS'Patented Oct. 5, 1954 OFFICE APPARATUS FOR CLEANING PIPE LINES Zoltan 0.St. Palley, Branford, and Lionel I. Rivard, New Haven, Conn.

Application December 9, 1952, Serial No. 324,926

(Cl. l34 56) 8 Claims.

1 This invention relates to apparatus for cleaning pipe lines, and hasparticular utility indairies, where the sanitary regulations prescribethe daily cleaning of all milk. carrying pipes, and where the presentpractice is to completely disassemble, every day, all milk carryingpipes and equipment to obtain the required sanitary cleaning.

The principal object of this invention is to eliminate this laboriousand expensive disassembly by providing an apparatus which can accomplishthe required sanitary cleaning of the pipe lines, and also other dairyequipment, without their disassembly.

Another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for thecleaning of pipe lines which, consisting of two independently portableunits, can be conveniently applied to pipe lines of various lengths andforms, even when the terminals are located on different floors or indifferent buildings.

Another object is to provide an apparatus for the cleaning of pipe linesin which the flow of the cleaning fluid is reversed automatically, sothat the cleaning action is continued automatically until satisfactoryresult is obtained.

A further object is toprovide an apparatus for the cleaning ofpipelines, which is economical in the use of the cleaning fluid, as thesame fluid is forced through the pipe line repeatedly until its cleaningeffect is fully utilized, which can be determined by inspection througha window in the tanks.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent duringthe course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this application, whereinfor the purpose of illustration, is shown a preferred embodiment of theinvention,

Figure 1 is an external view of the apparatus embodying the invention,

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic sectional view of the same.

The apparatus, embodying this invention, consists of two, independentlyportable units, which can be easily transported for connection to theterminals of the pipe line to be cleaned.

The general arrangement of the apparatus is clearly illustrated in Fig.1 of the drawing, wherein the numeral 1 designates the pipe line, theends of which are connected to the outlets 3 and H13 of the tanks 2 and[02, respectively. These tanks are equipped with filling openings 4 andI04, having air-tight covers, and inspection windows 5 and H15,respectively. The tanks are mounted on cabinets 6 and I06, which in thepreferred form, are equipped with wheels for greater mobility; Air lines1 and I9! connect the tanks to the manually operated shut-01f valves illand N9 of the compressed air supply, and the tanks arealso connectedwith each other by pilot air lines 8, Hi8 and coupling 9. These airlines are preferably of flexible tubing.

Cabinets 6 and i535 contain the control mechanism of the apparatus, apreferred form of which is illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawing. As thetwo independently portable units of the apparatus are perfect duplicatesinevery respect, a detailed description of one of the units will besufficient for the understanding of theprincipleof the invention.

Referring to Fig. 2' of the drawing, air line i conducts the compressedair tocontrol valve H,

which is connected to an exhaust pipe [-2 and alsoto a pipe [3 leadingtothe check valve 15, from which pipe it leads intotheinterior of thetank 2.

Thecontrol valve H has open and closed positions. In the open positionit permits the air to pass from air line i to pipe [3; in the closed*po-- sition it closes the passage from air line I and opens the-passagefrom pipe 3 toexhaust pipe 12. Handle M is used for the manual operationof the control valve H, it also serves as a position indicator.

Adjoining pipe i3 ischeck valve [5, which, inthe preferred form,comprises a housing, having a valve seat, a valve stem l-l, sl'idablymounted in said housing, carrying the valve head I 8, having twopositions: normal and active positions.

above the valve seat, giving a free passage between pipes i3 and i6. Inthe active position, the valve head is lowered to the valve seat,closing the passage between pipes i3 and Hi.

Another function of the check valve is to operate the pilot circuit,hereinafter described, and for that purpose, the valve stem I isextended.

outside of the housing for mechanical connection to the pilot actuatingvalve 25.

In the preferred form of the check valve l5, the housing has acylindrical extension f9, enclosing a spring 2E3, exerting an axialpressure on piston 2!, which is slidably mounted in said cylindrical I8.This upward force is: a maximum when the:

In the normal position, the valve head I 8 is raised valve head I8 is inthe normal or open position and decreases as the valve head movesdownward; finally, when the valve head I 8 reaches the active or closedposition, link 22 being substantially perpendicular to the valve stem II, said upward force will be approximately zero. The pressure of thespring 20 may be regulated by means of screw 23.

It is an essential feature of the check valve I 5 that the pipe I6 is solocated that an air current flowing from pipe IB into the housing of thecheck valve I5 produces a downward force on the valve head I8, which, atgiven pressure and velocity, is suflicient to move the valve head fromthe normal position into the active position, against the opposition ofthe action of the spring 20, hereinbefore described. Said downward forceof the air current is greatly increased by the presence of particles ofthe cleaning fluid in the air.

Another essential feature of the check valve I5 is that when the valvehead I8 is in the active or closed position, it will remain in thatposition until a reverse air current will build up sufficient pressureto raise the valve head I8, and move it, with the help of the spring 20,into the normal or open position.

Referring to Fig. 2 of the drawing, the numeral 26 designates the pilotactuating valve, which is connected to the pilot supply pipe 25,branching off from air supply line 1, also to exhaust pipe 21 and tooutlet pipe 28. Said valve 26, being operated by the valve stem IT, hasnormal and active positions, corresponding to the two positions of thecheck valve I 5. In the normal position of valve 26 pipe 25 is closed,and pipe 28 communicates with pipe 21. In the active position of valve26 the air passage is open from pipe 25 into pipe 28. Said pipe 28 isbifurcated, one of the branches leading to the lower inlet of theoperating cylinder 24, the other branch to the directing valve 29. Onone side, said directing valve 29 is connected to pipe 30, leading tothe upper inlet of operating cylinder 24, also to the exhaust pipe 3|and pilot line 8, on the other side.

In the preferred form, the directing valve 29 comprises a cylindricalhousing, containing a slidably mounted sliding valve 32 and a spring 33,which tends to keep said sliding valve 32 in the normal position, shownin Fig. 2, in which pipe 30 and the pilot line 8 are in communication.When compressed air is conducted from pipe 28 into the directing valve29, the air pressure moves the sliding valve 32 downward, against thepressure of spring 33, into the active position, in which the compressedair can pass from pipe 28 into the pilot line 8, and, at the same time,free passage is provided from pipe 30 to exhaust pipe 3 I.

The independently portable unit of the apparatus, connected to the otherend of the pipe line I, is an exact duplicate of the unit hereindescribed, and corresponding parts are designated by the same numeralsplus 100.

The preferred method of operation of the invention is as follows:

The outlets 3 and I03 of the two portable units are connected to theopposite ends of the pipe line I. Then, supply air lines I and I0! areconnected to the compressed air supply valves I0 and H0, and the pilotlines 8 and I08 are connected by coupling 9. Then, after closing thecontrol valves II and III by means of handles I4 and H4, respectively,the filling opening I04 of tank I02 is opened and the cleaning fluid isdeposited in tank I02. After this, the filling opening I04 is closed bythe air-tight cover, and the control valve II I is moved into the openposition by handle I I4, starting the cleaning operation.

In this operating position, shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing, thecompressed air will flow from the air line I01, through the controlvalve III, into pipe I I3, and, through the open check valve H5, andpipe IIB, into the tank I02. Then, the compressed air will force thecleaning fluid from tank I02 through the pipe line into the other tank2. During this operation, the air contained in the tank 2 and in thepipe line I, being gradually displaced by the cleaning fluid, willescape through pipe I6, the open check valve I 5, pipe I3 and exhaustpipe I2. The velocity of this escaping air is so low that the checkvalve I5 will not be affected.

When, however, the transfer of the cleaning fluid, from tank I02 to tank2, is completed, the compressed air from supply air line ID! willcontinue to flow through the pipe line I, will enter through outlet 3and will rise through the column of the cleaning fluid contained in tank2. This air current, finding very little frictional resistance in itspath, will attain a very high velocity, to such an extent, that enteringthe check valve I5, through pipe I6, the impact of this air current,augmented by particles of the cleaning fluid carried by the air fromtank 2, will force the valve head It down to the valve seat, closing thefurther escape of the air, and moving the pilot actuating valve 26 intothe active position. As a result of this, said valve 26 will admitcompressed air from pipe 25 into pipe 28, a part of which, will flow tothe lower port of the operating cylinder 24', and the other part willflow into the directing valve 29, where, by forcing down the slidingvalve 32, will gain entrance into the pilot line 8 and I08, and fromthere, the air will flow through the open directing valve I29, and pipeI30, into the upper port of the operating cylinder I24. In thisposition, the compressed air, acting on the pistons of the operatingcylinders 24 and I24, will move the control valves I I and III into thereversed positions. The result of this will be a reversed air flow fromsupply line I, causing the transfer of the cleaning fluid from tank 2,through the pipe line I, back to tank I02. When this transfer iscompleted, the check valve II5 will come into action to reverse theposition of the two control valves, as here-before described, causingthe transfer of the cleaning fluid through the pipe line in the oppositedirection. This alternate flow of the cleaning fluid is continuedautomatically until the cleaning fluid is fully utilized, which can bedetermined by inspection through windows 5 and I05. Then, both controlvalves will be closed, by handles I4 and. H4, and the used cleaningfluid will be discharged through drain valves 34 and I34.

Following this, the operation may be repeated with a new charge of therequired cleaning fluid.

It is to be understood that the form of the present invention, herewithshown and described, is to be taken as a preferred example of the same,and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts maybe resorted to, without departing from the spirit of this invention, orthe scope of the subjoined claims.

We claim:

1. An apparatus for cleaning a pipe line, comprising, a pair ofindependently portable closed tanks for holding the cleaning fluid, withoutlets connected to opposite ends of the pipe line; air supply linesadapted to conduct compressed air, alternately, to one of said tanks, inorder to force said cleaning fluid, through the pipe line, into theother tank; a pair of control valves, inserted into said supply lines,each adapted to regulate the flow of compressed air into one of saidtanks, said control valves having open and closed positions, and arearranged to be in opposite positions during the cleaning operation ofsaid apparatus; a pair of check valves, inserted into said supply lines,having normal and active positions, one of said check valves beingadapted to be moved into the active position when the flow of airreaches a given velocity in one direction, and to be returned into thenormal position when said flow of air is reversed, and the other of saidcheck valves being adapted to be moved into the active position when theflow of air reaches a given velocity in the opposite direction, and tobe returned into the normal position when said flow of air is reversed;pilot circuit means, interconnecting said control valves and checkvalves, adapted to reverse the positions of said pair of control valveswhen one of said check valves is moved into the active position.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said check valves are adapted toprovide an open passage for the air flow in the normal position, and toclose said passage in the active position.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 in which said control valves, when in theclosed position, will connect the respective tanks to exhaust pipes forthe exit of the air flow.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 in which each of said check valves isinserted between one of the tanks and the respective exhaust pipe, andis adapted to be moved into the active position by the impact of the airand of the particles of the cleaning fluid, flowing from said tanktoward said exhaust pipe, at given velocity.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 in which said pilot circuit means comprisestwo actuating means, each operable by one of said check valves; twooperating means, each operatively connected with one of said controlvalves, and

6 adapted to reverse the positions of one of said control valves; andtransmitting means interconnecting said actuating means and operatingmeans, and adapted to transmit the efiect of said actuating means tosaid operating means, so as to reverse both control valves.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 in which said pilot circuit means comprisestwo actuating valves, each operable by one of said check valves; twooperating cylinders, each connected to one of said control valves, andadapted to reverse the positions of one of said control valves; andpilot line means interconnecting said actuating valves and saidoperating cylinders, and adapted to conduct fluid means under pressure,from either of said actuating valves to both of said operatingcylinders, in order to reverse the positions of both of said controlvalves.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 in which said pilot line means comprises asingle pilot tube and two directing valves connected to the ends of saidpilot tube, and adapted to conduct compressed air, in alternatedirections, from either of said actuating valves to the operatingcylinder at the opposite end of said pilot line means.

8. The apparatus of claim '7 in which each of said actuating valves ismechanically connected to one of said check valves, and is so adaptedthat, when a check valve is moved into the active position, theconnected actuating valve will conduct the compressed air into both ofsaid operating cylinders, causing the reversing of the positions of bothof said control valves.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,645,356 Shurts Oct. 11, 1927 1,841,029 Hamilton Jan. 12,1932 2,064,573 Tatter Dec. 15, 1936 2,179,144 Buttner Nov. 7, 19392,367,662 Baxter Jan. 23, 1945 2,619,974 Daley Dec. 2, 1952

